THE GENERAL AND EAST BIRMINGHAM HOSPITALS

That this House congratulates all those members who have striven to keep the Birmingham General Hospital open as a full in and outpatient hospital; looks forward to its permanent retention as such, even beyond the successfully negotiated date of 1999; records its criticism of any who have not fully supported, or who have opposed, this situation by encouraging its reduction into a mini-clinic; congratulates all those who agree with both the further and full development of in-hospital facilities at both East Birmingham Hospital and the General Hospital, which is the main relief hospital and easily accessible to the former, whether by public transport or car, whereas the Queen Elizabeth Site chosen by the West Midlands Regional Hospital Board as a mega-site medical centre is geographically distant and almost impossible of access from East Birmingham in normal or emergency circumstances and whose establishment would deny further expansion at East Birmingham and disallow a main city centre hospital almost uniquely to any main city in Britain; pledges opposition to this plan, proposes its amendment and supports the General and East Birmingham Hospitals until this is achieved permanently within the National Health Service, thus allowing the people of Yardley, Acocks Green, Sheldon, Hay Mills and Tyseley equal hospital opportunity to that enjoyed by other Birmingham citizens.